Nothing's Like Before
by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER
Summary: Based on the theory that the Princesses of Heart have to be immortal or reincarnated, if they've been holding up what's left of the Light since the Keyblade War. Before an earlier Kairi's life comes to an end, she's able to meet the infant Sora on Destiny Islands. And even then, their hearts are connected and their souls bound. Finding hope there, Kairi's able to pass on in peace.


**Nothing's Like Before**

Folka didn't really know what it was that had prompted her to go to Destiny Islands—it could have been that she knew Xehanort had been originally from there, and so she meant to spite him or out maneuver him—but it could have been something else.

When the redhead stepped out into the serene, peaceful beach of the world that had yet to know Darkness, Folka found herself wishing she'd come to the world much sooner.

Dismissing her Keyblade as fast as she was able—or else she'd be hearing about being too conspicuous from her Master Egol later, perhaps—Folka cast one last glance at the Lanes Between, before deciding that this was the place she wished to spend the remainder of her time.

Something was drawing her to this place, the girl realized, as she quickly took a seat down on the sand. And as a reward for that movement, the Keyblade wielder ended up scorching her leg rather severely on the still hot area. And though she should have been upset for the fact, Folka couldn't find it in her to care in the least. If anything, it proved she was still alive.

So leaning back in the sand, so as to try and get a look at what the playground area might appear like upside down, Folka decided to relax for just a moment before going to search for whatever source of Light had summoned her to the Island in the first place.

As it happened, she must have been much more tired than she had initially thought, for waking up after a dream—in which her subconscious reminded her that she'd been undergoing an alias for a long time now—Folka realized that the entire area had been bathed in a grape, lemonade hue.

And it was actually very beautiful, Folka thought, as she noted the palm tree fronds dancing in the wind, so that their green color could rise up and join in with the purple and yellow of the sky.

Standing up excitedly, Folka decided that if the haunting hour had come to find her at that precise moment, there must have been something of interest going on that she was supposed to see! And as the chill in the air distinctly spoke of a very strong magic, Folka decided she couldn't wait to see what it was!

Jogging to the right of where she currently stood—where a dock was erected in the sand for boats to be tied up at—Folka made sure to spend a little bit of time bathing her toes in the lively salt water, before she finally made it to where it looked like a grandmother and her grandchild were standing.

And whilst it was true that there was definitely something interesting that seemed to be exuding from the elderly woman, Folka found that she was most interested in the smiling, brunet baby who was stretching his arms out towards her in his grandma's arms.

Momentarily taken aback—because she'd never really been around children before, and was somewhat startled that the Light would lead her to one like this—Folka tried to figure out how best to handle the current situation, when finally she just decided to wave at the baby just as enthusiastically as he was her, and to walk on over.

That had been her first mistake. For her eyes narrowing with knowledge, that only one who had lived through a lot of troubling ordeals could muster, the old lady grabbed at Folka's hands hastily and exclaimed: "Those lines on your nails! My dear— could it be that you've been poisoned? And by the look of the marks, it looks as though it's happened quite a lot. Can I help you- can I..."

There was a minute pause, as Folka wondered if her coming to this place had really been a good thing, if it just led to the locals fretting over her so thoroughly—all ready, the baby's blue eyes had widened with tears, and Folka wanted to scream for the fact, but...

Believing in the Light in the way that she always had, Folka decided that if she was going to die, she might as well warn other people as best as she could of what was to come.

Still… she didn't want to cause Darkness to form into their hearts with her words, either. So graciously taking her hands away from the concerned woman's, Folka ran a hand over the brown fuzz that the baby wore on his head and said, "Oh... it must have been an accident, then. No one I surround myself with would ever harm me, I assure you, unless... unless it was Xehanort- But _anyway_, as for your question, I've known that I've been ailing for a long time now. My end is almost near but I don't regret anything. I just want to spend what little time I have left in a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful people."

_Especially since I know Xehanort is going to be hunting me down in my next life_, too, Folka thought regretfully. _Xehanort... he's always going to be after the Princesses of __Heart, even if he has to kill us and hope that our next incarnation will be more pliable_.

At Folka's resigned tone and expression, the grandmother, sadly, began to despair—she also seemed to begin reciting a prayer for Folka's state—and though the Princess of Light wanted to say something to make the other woman feel the slightest bit better, she found herself focused on the child instead... he had- he had dropped the crab stuffed animal he'd been carrying into the water, it looked like.

And though at first Folka was confused about that, and was going to fish it back out for him, she noticed that he seemed to be waving goodbye to the toy, but... also motioning for her to come closer?

Happy tears welling up in her eyes then, Folka understood what the young one was getting at. Her hair... it was as red as a crab's skin, wasn't it? In fact, she even seemed to be wearing it up in a similar style to what a crustacean looked like. So was this child saying he'd give up something he loved, if it would somehow save her?

As Folka hesitantly moved her hand to rest over the boy's heart, she found that that sort of goodness and selflessness—that sort of Light—was exactly what he was getting at.

And furthermore, his heart had all ready been touched by another Light wielder's, it seemed... What was more than that was the fact that the infant had seemed to help the wielder and not the other way around.

Smiling more widely than she thought she ever had in her life, for this child proved that Xenahort was wrong: that the Darkness would never win and Light would always survive in the hearts of children, Folka began playing with the boy's hand, and she asked his grandmother something.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to put you out, but if it isn't too much trouble... do you think you could tell me what this boy's name is?"

"Why, it's 'Sora'," Sora's grandmother answered proudly, as she rubbed the tears from her eyes and opted to put on a more chipper disposition for Folka. "'Sora', as in 'sky'."

Closing her eyes blissfully in hearing that—for it had always been her belief that everyone shared one sky and one destiny no matter what—Folka thought that it must have been pure poetry that allowed the sun to peek up again, just for a moment, and to shine down on her and Sora's hands both, as she told a secret that she'd almost forgotten was true. "Hello, Sora, it's so nice to meet you! Thank you for being so good and jovial! My name's Kairi, and you know... I think the two of us are going to be great friends! Thanks for reminding me about hope again, and for reminding me of who I am."

And though she might have been imagining it at the time, Kairi thought she must have felt a stirring in her heart after those words had reached Sora's ears. Perhaps he was trying to help her the way he had that one boy?

In any case, with a new mission and belief in her heart, Kairi was able to meet death with a smile on her face when it did at last come for her that day. As her body got carried out to the sea by the currents, Kairi ended up meeting the plushie of Sora's that he'd willingly sacrificed for her.

And perhaps it was through them meeting the way that they had—or that brushing of girl and toy, as well as persons and fate—that ensured that when Kairi was reincarnated just a few months later, she'd eventually find her way to the joy bringer's, Sora's, side... And that she'd be happier in that life than she ever had been before when that did happen.

Nothing was like before, and though the future Kairi didn't know why that was exactly, she knew she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Without knowing about Xehanort's plans for her, she was able to spend her time with her two best friends in peace.

And when Xehanort did end up coming for her the second time, her and Sora's developed bond would ensure that he'd find a way to save her, and that no matter what, the two of them would be together. Always.

**Author's Note: An idea that I had a LONG time ago. And frankly, I'm surprised that I didn't write it out earlier, but here it is now:)**

**This might have come out more depressing than I'd intended it to be, though (especially since I wanted to write something lighter after my last SoKai story). But unfortunately, it kind of had to be for this reincarnation idea of mine to work out. I wanted this Kairi to meet infant Sora (who apparently is quite a few months older than Kairi's reincarnation in this story. LOL.) before she was born again as the Kairi we all know and love.**

**Y'know... this story actually took a LOT of work and thought to get right. I also tried to draw parallels to actual canon things and references, and also made Sora's grandmother just as all-knowing as future!Kairi's grandmother is. LOL.**

**So, yeah. Apparently, the first PoH Master Xehanort ever tried to target was Kairi. BUT in this story, she had the fortune of being trained as a Keyblade wielder (by one of the other Masters farther out in the multiverse that Nomura mentioned way back in the KH1 Ultimania), so she knew enough to be able to thwart his plans and stuff, which... is why he ended up discreetly poisoning her, so that she could die and he could try his luck with the next Kairi, which...**

**He didn't know was "Folka" right away. Or moreover, Apprentice Xehanort didn't know that "Folka" was really "Kairi", when he finds her later on (because the previous Kairi has used that alias, was older, and had a bit of a different personality since she was a wielder and knew what was going on). **

**He still suspects enough, though, to cast her out into the Lanes Between to test his theory. And of course, later on in KH1 when he comes across Maleficent—who is fretting about who the seventh PoH is-he's put together at that point that the missing one is definitely her.**

**Does any of this make sense? Gosh, I hope so. I tried to make this all work and for it to be canon...**

**And if you can't tell, this takes place just a little bit after Sora connected his heart to Ven's when he was born, but before the main events of BbS. I tell ya, the KH timeline is so confusing…**

**Anyway, I've rambled enough. I hope you all enjoyed! Tell me what you thought in a review, please. Peace!**

**SoKai (especially soul mate-esque SoKai) ftw!**

**-Shanna**

**P.S. I'm not entirely sure about the white lines on the nails thing. I heard a LONG time ago on "Unsolved Mysteries" that that can be a sign of someone being poisoned, but… I could have gotten some of the details wrong. I really probably should have looked it up before writing this, but it works for the story, so whatever.**

**P.P.S. This is a really early birthday present for BlueRose729 on deviantArt. I really hope you like this, honey, and that it's not a failure of a gift. This is one of my best and most meaningful stories, imo, so… I really hope you like it. Love you lots, girl. Thanks for being so awesome! –hugs-**


End file.
